Bottle or container inspection apparatus



Oct. 7, 1952 E. H. BR|TT BOTTLE OR CONTAINER INSPECTION APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30, 1946 Oct. 7, 1952 E. H. BRlTT BOTTLE OR CONTAINER INSPECTION APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1946 M llm nm Oct. 7, 1952 E. H. BRITT BOTTLE OR CONTAINER INSPECTION APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheei 5 Filed Oct. 50, 1946 Inventor Eda: in 117. @252 A Ito r11 6 Patented Oc t. 7, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT," orrice BOTTLE 0R CONTAINER INSPECTION APPARATUS I Edwin H. Britt, Raleigh, N. 0., assignor, by mesne I assignments, to Harris Foundry and Machine Company, Cordele, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application This invention relates to improvements in hottle or container inspection apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle or container inspection apparatus which will be used in'conjunction with bottling apparatus for automatically. and intermittently stopping consecutive groups of bottles in front of an inspection light as they are carried by a conveyor belt from a bottle filling apparatus to a bottle crating station.

Another object of the invention is to providean improved form of bottle orcontainer stop apparatus including a rotary bottle or container engaging star wheel and apivoted gate controlled latch mechanism operable by the bunching or grouping of the bottles or containers to automatically and intermittently stop consecutive groups of bottles or containers momentarily in front of an inspection light as they are carried by an endless conveyor from a bottle filling apparatus to a bottle crating station.

g A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of bottle or container stop apparatus including a gate controlled latch mechanism for permitting consecutive groups of bottles or containers to be released to pass on an endless conveyor to stop momentarily in front of an inspection light, together with a separate stop mechanism for holding the groups of bottles or containers in front of said inspection light, and

for releasing the groups of bottles or containers to pass along the endless conveyor to the bottle or container crating station, said last mentioned stop mechanism to be automatically and intermittently controlled and operated by said first mentioned stop mechanism.

A still further object of the invention isto provide an improved form of bottleor container stop apparatus used in conjunction with a bottling apparatus whereby groups of bottles or containers will be automatically and intermittently sepa October so, 1946, Serial No. 706,555 5 Claims. (o1, ss -14) Figure 3 is a side elevation of the improved bottle or container stop apparatus;

Figure 4. is a plan view of the improved bottle or container stop apparatus showing the bottles tainers moving forward to be stopped infront of released with the inspected bottles or containers leaving their position in front of the inspection light and a following group of bottles or conthe inspection light;

Figure 5 is a sectional view 55 of Figure 3; v

Figure-6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5,and v f I 1 Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Like characters of reference are used through out the following specification and the accompanying drawings -to designate corresponding parts. 7;,

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a bottle or container filling apparatus (not taken on the line shown) and arr-endless conveyor belt I mounted shipment.

upon a supporting frame 2 extending from said filling apparatus to pass in front of an inspection light generallydenoted by the reference numeral 3, and terminating at a point where the filled and inspected bottles or containers will be crated for Horizontally disposed spaced guide strips or rails 4 are supported by the spaced vertical arms 5 secured inany desired manner upon the conveyor supporting frame 2, serving to guide the bottlesor containers '6 disposed upon the conveyor belt I and to prevent the same from falling from said belt. t

' A bottle or'container inspection station will be provided along one side of the conveyor frame I 2, consisting of an elongated reflector 1 suitably supported on a level with the filledbottles or rated and stopped in consecutive groups at a light" inspection station, said apparatus being highly efficient in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description.

proceeds. o

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved bottle or container stop apparatus showing a group of bottles stopped in front of an inspection light;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the improved bottle or container stop mechanism showing the line of bottles checked by the star wheel and bunched together to force the pivoted latch control gate open;

containers 6, as they are carried by the endless belt or conveyor I from the filling'apparatus (not shown) to' the bottle or container'crating end of the conveyor, said reflector supporting the verti- 1 cally spaced sockets'8 and 9 in itsopposite ends, between which the fluorescent light bulbs H] are 'disposed'andconnected with a sourceof electrical energy, (not shown). v

The guide stripsor rails 4 are interrupted at a point between the-filling apparatus (not shown) and the inspection light, the space therebetw'een,

being filled with a, gate member ll hinged'at' I2 to the adjacent ends of said guide strips or rails 4, the purpose of'which will be hereinafter described in detail.

The automatic bottle, oncontaine'r stop apparatus or mechanism'includes a starwheel t3 having eight pointsIM and eight bottle'or container receiving recesses I5, or any desired number of points and recesses, the same being mounted upon a vertical shaft I6 which is rotatably mounted between the parallel side arms 22 and 23 of the U-shaped bracket member I"! secured by the bolts I6 extending through its central portion to the conveyor frame 2. The star wheel I3 is mounted on a horizontal plane with the points 14 thereof extending inwardly above the conveyor belt I and in spaced relation thereto, whereby the bottles or containers 6 are positively engaged by the star wheel as they are carried by the conveyor belt I from the filling apparatus (not shown) to a position in front of the inspection light.

The vertical shaft I6 supports the small spur gear I9 which is meshed with a spur gear 20 of twice its size mounted upon the shaft 2 I "mounted between the side arms 22 and 23 of the U-shaped bracket member I! to extend parallel to the vertical shaft I6. The shaft 2I extends through the bracketarm-23 and below the same to support the disk or wheel '24 on its lowermost end. A raised stop or lug 25 is formed on the upper surface of the disk or wheel 24and is adapted to cooperatewitha latch arm'26 connected to the hereinafter'described linkage and controlled by the outward movement of the gate member II.

A longitudinally disposed rod 21 is supported in the bearing 28 secured to the side of the conveyor frame 2 and is bent at its rear end to extend upwardly then outwardly, and again upwardly as at 29, terminating in the inwardly directed finger 30 which is adapted to be engaged by the hinged gate member II when the same is swung outwardly by thebottlesB crowding together when their forward motion on the conveyor belt I is checked by the latc h arm 26 adjustably secured to the forward end of the rod 21 by means of' the set bolt 26, said arm dropping downwardly in front of the stop 25 on the-wheel 24, thereby preventing rotation-of the star wheel mechanism. The gear-20 being twice the size of the interme'she gear 49 and having twice the number of teeth will, when the wheel 24 is released by the operation of the gate I I causing the latch arm 26 to raise above the stop lug'25, permit the star wheel I3 to make twocomplete revolutions'while the wheel 24 is making one revolution, thus allowing sixteen filled bottles or containers 6 to be carried by the conveyor belt I to a position in "front of the inspection light 3, wherethe foremost bottle or container 6 will engage the weighted stop arm 3| extending transversely'of and slightly above the conveyor belt I. Thestop arm 3 Iwill be secured toone'end-of the rod or'shaft 32 rotatably mounted in the spaced bearing brackets 33 and 34 secured to the side of the conveyor frame 2. A vertically. .extending'trip arm'35 is secured to the opposite "end of the rod or shaft 32 and is adapted tO engage andiclose the arcuate bottle actuated finger 3] pivotally mounted on the vertical pivot-Din '36 supported in the bracket or housing 38 mounted on the side of the-conveyor frame 2. The force or movement of "the bottles 6 upon the conveyor belt I willopensaidbottle actuated finger .31. An adjustable weight'39 is attached to the rod-2T to control. the latch 26 which stops lugl25 causing the gate II to open easy or hard, as desired.

From the foregoing description, itwill be apparent that the mode of operation of the improved bottle-or container stop apparatus. is as raised stop or lug 25, with a point I4 of said wheel positively stopping and holding the forwardmost bottle or container 6, with other bottles or containers 6 being lined up behind said first men- 'tioned bottleor container by'the movement of the conveyor belt I'until the bottles or containers 6 bunch or group together, as shown in Figure 2, to force the gate I I open to engage the inner end30 of the arm 29, thus causing rod 21 to rotate to raise the latch arm 26 momentarily from its position in front of the stop or lug 25 on the wheel 24, permitting the gear 20 to make one Qmentar'ilyat the, inspection sta-tion, .and an follows: Assuming that the star wheel I3 was held stationary by the. latch arm -26.engaging the atsaid station.

revolution before the stop or lug 25 again is engaged by the'latch arm 26, and the star wheel I3 to maketwo complete revolutions to advance another group of sixteen bottles or containers 6 on the conveyor belt I towards the inspection light 3. The bottles or containers 6 will force the finger 36 outwardly to engage the trip arm 35 tci force the .-same. outwardly and to simultaneously raise the weight.arm.r3.l upwardly to permit the sixteen bottles or containers '6 whichwere .momentarily stopped in front vof the inspection light 3 to moveon theconveyor belt I to the bottle orcontainer crating station, the said weight I arm- 3 I again dropping down transversely of the conveyor belt I after the inspectedbottles or containers 6 have moved on, to stop the next group of bottles or containers 6 in front of the inspection light 3. This intermittent-action of allowing groups of bottles to pass to and momentarily stop in front of the inspection light is entirely automatic and continuous as long as there are I bottles being fed upon the coriveyorbelt I and the machine is kept running. e

Whilethe preferredembodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that itis not intended to limit thescope of the invention-thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

II aving thus "described'my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States is: I

1; A container conveyor-system including a supporting frame, an endless conveyor associated therjeonfforfdelivering a; plurality of containers to' a station adjaGent the discharge endof said endiessgconveyor, inspection means at said station, abracket fixed to saidsuppjorting frame, vertical shafts rotatabl'y' carried by said bracket. a star wheel on the upper end of one of said shaftsoverlying' said jendlessconveyor and engageable with said containers, a stop wheel hav- "ing stpp lug thereon: secured to the lower end of pnegof said shafts a'hing d gate adjacent said endless conveyor, an actuating rod rotatably supported jupon' said. supporting. frame, a, finger carried by one end of'saidjrod and disposedrad- 'jacentfisaid gate, a 'lat'chflarm on" the otherrend of said; rod intermittently engageable with the stop lugon' said stop wheel and releasable by the .crowding of the bottles against said. gate causing'the same to move outwardly to actuate said fingerv for releasing said latch arm, thereby permittingthe release of a. predetermined 'number ofbottles to travel alongsaid endless conveyor .to a stationary position at said inspectionjstation, means .for retaining said bottles 7. arcuate bottle actuated finger pivotally' supported on said supporting frame. for releasingcontainers "ZJA bottle or container inspection apparatus 4 including a supporting frame, an endless conveyor supported thereon for delivering a plurality of containers to a station adjacent the discharge end of said endless conveyor, inspection means at said station, a U-shaped bracket fixed to said supporting frame, parallel vertical shafts rotatably mounted between the arms of said bracket, a star wheel on the upper end of one of said shafts overlying said endless conveyor and engageable with said containers when disposed upon said endless conveyor, intermeshed reduction gears on said shafts, a stop wheel having a stop lug thereon secured to the lower end of the other of said shafts having a one to two ratio or rotation with said star wheel, a hinged gate adjacent said endless conveyor, an actuating rod rotatably supported upon said supporting frame, a gate actuated finger on one end of said rod, a latch arm on the other end of said rod intermittently engageable with the stop lug on said stop wheel releasable by the crowding of the containers against said gate causing the same to move outwardly to actuate said finger for releasing said latch arm, thereby permitting the release of a predetermined number of containers to travel along said endless conveyor to a stationary position at said inspection station, an arcuate bottle actuated finger pivotally supported on said supporting frame movable over said endless conveyor, a second rod rotatab-ly supported on said supporting frame at said inspection station, a weighted stop arm on one end of said rod movable across said endless conveyor to stop the movement of said containers when positioned in front of said inspection station, and a vertically extending trip arm on the opposite end of said rod engageable with and operable by the movement of said container actuated finger for releasing the containers in front of the inspection station for movement along the endless conveyor as said star wheel is actuated to permit another set of containers to move along the endless conveyor to stop at said inspection station.

3. A container conveyor system including a supporting frame, an endless conveyor supported thereon for delivering a plurality of containers to an inspection station adjacent the discharge end of said endless conveyor, inspection means at said station, means for retaining a predetermined number of the containers in a stationary position at the said station, a star wheel overlying said conveyor and paced forwardly of the station for retaining another group of the containers in a stationary position, stop means associated with said star wheel, a pivoted gate disposed adjacent said conveyor, release means for said stop means actuated by movement of the gate to release the star wheel, said gate being moved by the crowding thereagainst of the containers held by the star wheel, a release ward the inspection station upon release of i the star wheel stop means.

4. A container conveyor system including a supporting frame, an endless conveyor'supported thereon for delivering a plurality of containers to an inspection station adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor, inspection means at said station, means for retaining a group of the containers in a stationary position at the said station, said means including a stop arm, release means for said arm including a rotating rod associated with said arm and a lever carried by said rod and transversely disposed above the conveyor, said lever being actuated by a following group of containers, means for retaining said following group of containers in a stationary placement spaced from the said station, said means including a star wheel overlying said conveyor, means for braking said star wheel and release means therefor, said release means including a gate hinged adjacent said conveyor and actuated by the crowding thereagainst of the containers held by the star wheel.

5. A container conveyor system including a supporting frame, an endless conveyor supported thereon for delivering a plurality of containers to a station adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor, inspection means at said station, a stop arm disposed at said station for momentarily halting the advance of a group of containers therebeyond, release means for said arm including a rod, a trip arm disposed transversely on the conveyor and carried by the rod, said trip arm being actuated by a second group of containers, a star wheel overlying said conveyor for momentarily holding the second group of containers from engagement by the trip arm, braking means for said star wheel and release means for said braking means including a hinged gate disposed adjacent said conveyor, said gate being actuated by containers of the second group.

EDWIN H. BRI'I'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,679,402 Brown Aug. 7, 1928 1,947,142 Ward et al. Feb. 13, 1934 2,052,840 Nussbaum Sept. 1, 1936 2,236,945 Gibbs Apr, 1, 1941 2,259,748 Hullhorst Oct. 21, 1941 2,296,027 Gettelman Sept. 15, 1942 

